There’s a whole new version of Superman on the horizon from James Gunn, and with it comes Nathan Fillion’s Green Lantern. The actor opened up about how his version of Guy Gardner will be different from other film and small screen versions — and it turns out he isn’t exactly going to be the most charming iteration of the character.
“He’s a jerk!” Fillion told TV Guide in a recent interview. “What’s important to know is, you don’t have to be good to be a Green Lantern; you just have to be fearless. So Guy Gardner is fearless, and he is not very good. He’s not nice, which is very freeing as an actor because you just think to yourself, what is the most selfish, self-serving thing I can do in this moment? And that’s the answer. That’s what you do in that moment.”
Fillion even added that Gardner’s superhero alter ego has a bit of a hubris issue. “I think if he has a superpower, it might be his overconfidence, in that he thinks he could take on Superman,” the actor explained. “He can’t!”
The upcoming Superman is the first film entry in an entirely rebooted DC Cinematic Universe and will helm the inaugural chapter of the new DCU, titled Gods and Monsters. But the DC establishment isn’t the only one interested in the Green Lanterns. HBO is also currently shooting a series-style look at the other members of the superhero alliance called Lanterns, with Kyle Chandler playing Hal Jordan and Aaron Pierre playing John Stewart. As of now, that show is set to premiere in 2026.
Superman stars David Corenswet as Clark Kent, Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane, Milly Alcock as Supergirl, and Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor. The film was written and directed by James Gunn, and is set to fly into theaters on July 11, 2025.
Lex Briscuso is a film and television critic and a freelance entertainment writer for IGN. You can follow her on Twitter at @nikonamerica.
